Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Sugiono and People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Ahmad Muzani are set to attend the funeral of slain Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, after the government's earlier decision to send only the ambassador in Tehran drew criticism for Indonesia's perceived departure from its free and active foreign policy.
Speaking at an event in Jakarta on Monday, Sugiono said the two would represent Indonesia at the funeral procession in Mashhad, Iran, which will cap off the six days of mourning for Khamenei that began on July 4 in Tehran.
"We plan to attend the funeral on Thursday," Sugiono told reporters. "We are still waiting for confirmation from the Iranian authorities regarding the time and venue."
The announcement came after the government had previously informed Tehran that Indonesia would only send Ambassador Rolliansyah "Roy" Soemirat, despite an invitation from the Iranian government for state officials above ambassadorial rank.
Sugiono said the earlier decision was driven by "logistical constraints", with senior officials occupied by preparations for state visits and other commitments. "At that time, we were preparing for state visits to Indonesia and several key officials were also busy and were unable to go [to Tehran]," the minister said.
Sugiono said Indonesia was still in the process of coordinating with Iranian authorities in regard to the funeral scheduled on Thursday.
U-turn
The move came on the back of criticism from former diplomats and analysts, who argued that Indonesia's limited representation reflected a shift in its long-held free and active foreign policy amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel.
Former deputy foreign minister Dino Patti Djalal said he was "baffled" by the snub, noting that Indonesia's delegation could have been "a firm signal from Jakarta that the assassination of Khamenei was an illegal act that violated international law and norms."
"Does this mean our 'free and active' foreign policy is fading because of fear or reticence toward America? Has fear become a factor in Indonesian foreign policy?" Dino said on Instagram on Sunday. He reshared his comments on X on Monday.
Khamenei was assassinated on Feb. 28 by a coordinated missile strike launched by the US and Israel, which kick-started their months-long war against Iran that expanded to neighboring Middle East countries.
Dino further noted that the absence of Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, stood in stark contrast to fellow Muslim-majority nations like Malaysia and Pakistan, the latter sending its prime minister.
International law expert Hikmahanto Juwana of the University of Indonesia (UI) similarly questioned the move, arguing that Indonesia's free and active foreign policy called for support for Iran as the nation whose sovereignty had been violated under international law.
"Not sending a delegation could be interpreted as Indonesia siding with the US and Israel instead of Iran," Hikmahanto said in a statement on Monday.
The criticism followed Jakarta's intensifying engagement with Washington under President Prabowo Subianto's administration, including through Indonesia's membership in the US-led Board of Peace for Gaza's postwar reconstruction and the bilateral Agreement on Reciprocal Trade.
The debate also unfolded amid a report by Iran's Tasnim news agency last Friday that cited unnamed sources as alleging that senior US officials had mounted a diplomatic campaign urging governments to refrain from attending Khamenei's funeral. The report did not identify Indonesia among the countries allegedly approached.
Too late?
Middle East expert Yon Machmudi of UI said the government's decision to send Sugiono and Muzani was likely influenced by the public criticism surrounding its earlier stance. Yon however said it might be already too late to dissipate public concerns over Indonesia's foreign policy stance.
"This decision cannot be separated from public criticism, and it seems rather late," Yon said. "But better than not attending at all."
Yon had earlier suggested the optics were difficult to ignore as Prabowo himself had visited several Middle Eastern countries in recent months, noting that skipping Iran could fuel perceptions that Jakarta was mindful of its ties with Washington.
Government Communication Agency (Bakom) head Muhammad Qodari and State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi were not immediately available for comment.